Stub-axle for cars.



No. 687,2l2. Patnted Nov. 26, mm;

J. H. EGBERT.

STUB AXLE FOB CARS.

(Application filed Jam 22, 1901.)

No Model.)

- No. 687, 2|2. Patented Nov. 26, |90|.

Y J. H.EGBERT.

STUB AXLE FOR CABS.

(Application fli'egi Jan. 22, 1901.)

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Shaet-2.

z I Em FIEE IIIII IIHH E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY EGBERT, OF ANAOONDA, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNS. HIOKEY, OF ANACONDA, MONTANA.

STUB-AXLE FoR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,212, dated November26, 1901.

Application filed January 22, 1901 Serial Ila- 44,289. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES HENRY EGBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Anaconda, in the county of Deerlodge and State of Montana,have invented a new and useful Stub-Axle for Cars, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in stub-axles for cars.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofaxles for miningcars and the like and to provide simple andcomparatively inexpensive axles adapted to be readily applied to miningand other cars and capable of providing a strong construction and offacilitating lubrication of the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stub-axle adapted tobe readily removed and capable of being lubricated independently of theother axles of a car; and another object of the invention is to enablethe bearing-sleeves for the reception of the axles to be firmlyinterlocked with the body of a car and to prevent the latter from beingstrained by the independent attachment of the axles.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and. pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a reverse plan.

View of a portion of a mining-car constructed in accordance with thisinvention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken longitudi-, nallyof one of the axles. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken transversely ofone of the axles. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the sleeves. Fig. 5 isan enlarged transverse sec tional View of one of the axles, illustratingthe construction of the locking device for retaining the stub-axle inthe bearing-sleeve. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the key. Fig.7 is a detail view of the latch for bold ing the key in engagement withthe stub-axle. Fig. 8 is a detail view illustrating the arrangement ofthe transverse angle-bar and the metal strap'for supporting the'body ofthe car.

sponding parts in all the figures of the drawin 's- I I l designates astub-axle having a wheel 2 suitably secured to its'outer end, and thesaid stub-axle is arranged withina bearing-sleeve 5 5 3, which issecured'to the bottom of a carbody 4 by the means hereinafter described.The bearing-sleeve, which is closed at its inner end, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, and which has itsouter '60 end extending into a suitable recess 6 of the hub of thewheel,is provided with lateral and longitudinal extensions or plates 7and 8, formed integral with the bearing-sleeve and located,respectively, at opposite sides of the outer portion of the sleeve andat the inner end thereof. The extensions or plates 7 and 8 are providedwith openings 9 and 10, surrounded by upwardly-projecting bosses or lugs11 and 12, arranged in corresponding renuts arranged in pairs, asclearly shown in Figs.2 and 3 of the drawings. The lower or outer nutisadapted to form a jam-nut to prevent the upper nut from unscrewing.Instead of employing bolts rivets or any other suitable fasteningdevices may be provided, and

the bearing-sleeve may be fastened to either wooden or metalliccar-bodies, and the number and arrangement of the plates'or-extensionsmaybe varied. Any thrust to which the bearing-sleeve may be subjectedwill be 0 sustained by the upwardly-extending annularbosses or lugswhich project from-the upper faces of the plates or extensions, and suchV thrust will not be received by the fastening devices for securing thebearing-sleeve to the car-body.

The stub-axle is provided at its inner end with an annular groove 17,which is engaged Like numerals of reference designate corre- 5c Thefastening devices, which 75 by a forked or bifurcated key 18, having ashank 19, which extends outward through a side opening 20 of the sleeve,which is also provided at its top with an opening 21 to permit the keyto be arranged in the sleeve before the latter is secured to the car.The sleeve is slightly enlarged adjacent to the openings 20 and 21, andthere is sufficient space to enable the engaging portion ofthe key to bedrawn backward clear of the stub-axle, as illustrated in dotted lines inFig. 5 of the accompanying drawings. The bearing-sleeve is provided witha shoulder 22 to receive the upper side of the fork of the key, and theshank of the latter is recessed at its outer end to provide ashoulder23, which is engaged by a pivoted latch 24. The latch 24, whichis pivoted to the outer face of one side of the bearing-sleeve by arivet 25 or othersuitable fastening device, is provided with a suitablehandle 25, and it has an eccentrically-pivoted head which when thehandle is swung downward to a depending vertical position, asillustrated in Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings, projects over theside opening 20 and is arranged to engage the shoulder 23 to prevent thekey from being'drawn outward. The outer end of the shank of the key isprovided with a depending portion 27, which is adapted to be readilygrasped by the operator, and the latch maybe readily swung around out ofengagement with the shoulder of the shank. The latch will be maintainedin engagement with the shank by gravity, and the fastening device 25 maybe arranged to hold the latch tightly against the outer face of thesleeve to create sufficient friction to prevent the latch fromaccidentally turning when subjected to any jar or vibration incident tothe passage of the car over a piece of rough road-bed.

The bearing-sleeve is provided at its outer portion with alongitudinalenlargement 28, having a longitudinal oil-passage 29 andextending into a corresponding recess 30 of the car-body to assist insupporting the sleeve. The longitudinal passage, which is arranged at aninclination, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, extends downward to the bore ofthe sleeve, which is provided with annular and longitudinal recesses 31and 32. The enlargement is provided at the outer end of the passage 29with a cover 33, located beyond the side of the car and arranged at aslight inclination. The cover is adapted to be swung upward to exposethe outer end of the oil-passage, and it is capable of excluding foreignmatter from the bearing.

The car-body is supported by an angle-iron brace 34 and a metal strap35,extending across the center of the bottom ofthe carand adapted toprevent the body of the car from being strained by theindependently-mounted stubaxles. The metal strap or bar 35 has its endportions extended upward on the sides of the car, as indicated in Fig. 8of the accompanying drawings, and its central horizontal portion isarranged contiguous to the angle-iron brace 34:-

It will be seen that the stub-axles are exceedingly simple andinexpensive in construction, that they are self-oiling and adapted to belubricated independently of one another, that they are readily attachedto a car, and that the latter is securely braced and prevented frombeing strained or otherwise injured by the stub-axles. It will also beapparent that Where the cars are constructed for wide gage roads theexpense will be greatly lessened by employing stub-axles, as the latterdo not extend entirely across the cars. It will also be apparent thatthe annular lugs or bosses, which are interlocked with the bottom of thecar-body, hold the bearing-sleeves in alinement and relieve thefastening devices of strain.

The independent stub axles are much cheaper than a single continuousaxle, and it has been found by experience that when a single wheel oraxle receives a severe strain or shock the damage, if any, is confinedto such wheel or axle and that with stub-axles there is less liabilityof breakage under such conditions than when the sleeves and axles areconnected.

The stub-axles may be removed from their bearings in event of breakagewithout unloading the car or taking the latter out of the train andwithout removing the bearingsleeves from the car-body. The lockingdevices for retaining the said axles in the sleeves are readilyaccessible and may be conveniently operated to release the stub-axleswhen desired.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a car-body, of therigidly-mounted bearing-sleeves secured directly to the lower face ofthe bottom of the car-body at opposite sides thereof and provided withhollow lugs or bosses interlocked with the bottom of the car-body,fastening devices passing through the lugs or bosses and supported bythe same, and the independent stub-axles detachably secured within thebearing-sleeves, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car-body, of rigidly-mounted bearing-sleevessecured directly to the lower face of the bottom of the carbody atopposite sides thereof and arranged independently of each other andspaced apart, the independent stub-axles arranged within thebearing-sleeves, and the transverse brace extending across the bottom ofthe car-body and adapted to support the frame at the center between theends of the sleeves, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a bearing-sleeve provided at one side with anopening, a stub-axle arranged in the bearing-sleeve, a key engag ing thestub-axle and provided with a shank tending across the body, and themetal strap arranged adjacent to the brace and extending across the bodyand embracing the sides I 5 thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES HENRY EGBERT.

Witnesses:

F. W. PECKOVEB, HARVEY JEssEN.

